546 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



dent it be broken, and in that pase, that a substitute may readily be found; which, however, is never 

 equal to the main shoot ; so that great care should be taken in the training of principal leaders. One 

 side shoot of each plant may be stopped when it is five or six feet in length, and the other when nine or 

 ten, (as they are to be cut well down in the winter pruning,) which will throw in the more strength to 

 the middle shoots, that are only to be headed down to about six or eight feet, and which, if well 

 ripened, may yield a few fruit next season. These should be encouraged, therefore, and be carefully 

 trained, as long as they will grow." 



2975. In the end of the season, say in the month of November, "these shoots," Nicol observes, " are to 

 be pruned thus : the side shoot, stopped first, to three eyes ; the other to five or six feet ; and the middle 

 shoot, to seven, eight, or ten feet, according to its strength : from which may be expected a good deal of 

 fruit next season, and a shoot from its extremity, to be stopped at the top of the house, this time twelve- 

 month. From the side shoot, pruned to five or six feet, may be expected a few fruit ; and from its ex- 

 tremity, a shoot to be headed at this time next year, at nine or ten feet in length, which will, the season 

 following thereafter, produce a full crop. From the side shoot, shortened to three eyes, are to be expected 

 two shoots ; the one to be trained to the height of about nine or ten feet (to be pruned to five or six at 

 this time next year) ; and the other to four or five only, as it is again to be pruned back to two or three 

 buds this time twelvemonth ; thus providing for wood to fill the under part of the trellis." 



2976. Bearing shoots. In a properly constructed grape-house, the plants trained up the roof, and the house 

 filled with wood, "there should be," Nicol observes, "three ranges of bearing shoots; viz. one range, at 

 bottom of the trellis, from end to end of the house, reaching from within two feet of the ground, five or 

 six more feet upwards ; a second, reaching from a foot, or perhaps two feet under the tops of these, that 

 is, from within seven or eight feet of the ground, to the distance of fourteen or fifteen feet upwards from 

 it ; and a third range, reaching from a foot or two under the tops of these last, to the uppermost row of 

 wires on the trellis : the shoots of the first, or lower range, being headed at about five or six feet ; those 

 of the second, or middle range, at about seven or eight ; and those of the third, or uppermost, at about 

 nine or ten feet in length ; all a foot or two, more or less, according to circumstances, according to their 

 strengths, how low or how high upon the plants they have issued, and how far they have sprung, and are 

 fully matured. The distance at which these shoots should be placed from each other, in their respective 

 ranges, is about thirty inches ; which distance is necessary to give room to the stubs of next year, on which 

 the clusters are to hang, as in this season ; and which distance may be varied a few inches, according to the 

 kinds of grapes, some growing stronger than others. The undermost shoots on the trellis, or those placed 

 nearest to the ground, and which were only trained to the height of a few feet, must be shortened back 

 to two or three joints ; it being a principal point in the training of vines, always to provide for a supply of 

 bottom wood, and to keep young wood as near to the ground, or lower parts of the plants, as possible." 



2977. Cutting and laying in the shoots. " In pruning, cut generally at two inches above the bud. Some cut 

 nearer, even as near as half an inch, which is apt to weaken the shoot of next season, and sometimes to 

 prevent its vegetating at all ; the buds being very susceptible of injury, on account of the soft and spongy 

 nature of the wood. In the cutting out of old wood, be careful to cut in a sloping direction, and to 

 smooth the edges of the wound, in order to prevent its being injured by moisture. The pruning being 

 finished, let the loose, shreddy, outward rind on the old wood be carefully peeled off, observing not to 

 injure the sound bark, and clear the trellis and branches of leaves, tendrils, &c. Let the shoots 

 and branches be afterwards regularly laid in, at the distances above specified, particularly the young 

 shoots that are expected to bear next season. As to the others, it is not so material ; nor is it ma- 

 terial how near the young shoots be placed to the old, or even though they sometimes cross them. 

 Choose strands of fresh matting, or packthread, to tie with ; and observe to leave suificient room for the 

 swelling of the shoots and branches next season, as often already cautioned." 



2978. General treatment after pruning. " The house should be shut up at nights, for ten days or a fortnight, 

 after being pruned, particularly if there be any appearance of frost ; admitting air freely through the day. 

 It is proper to keep the plants from the extremes of heat or cold for some time, in order that their pores 

 may contract, and the wounds may heal gradually ; as otherwise they are apt to bleed now, and to break 

 out afresh on the application of fire-heat in the spring. When they are judged to be safe, expose the 

 house night and day." 



2979. Hayward's pruning and 458 

 training proceeds on the opinion, 

 u that the greater length the sap has 

 to pass through the body of the vine, 

 the more abundant, fine, and high- 

 flavored will the fruit be ;" he re- 

 commends introducing only one plant 

 in a vinery, and training it over the 

 whole trellis, either in horizontal 

 shoots from two main leaders (Jig. 

 458. a) ; or in his wavy manner (6) ; 

 and he can, as the tree advances in 

 growth, gradually convert the latter 

 into the former mode. 



2980. Setons training. A very scientific mode of training vines under a glass roof, 

 has been adopted at Stamford HiU, by J. Seton, Esq. one of our most enlightened horti- 

 culturists, and practised by him for several years with considerable success. It is thus 

 described : — 



2981. The vine having, like other trees, a tendency to produce its most vigorous shoots at the extremities of the 

 branches, and particularly so at those which are situated highest, it generally happens, when it is trained, 

 as is most frequently done, across and upwards, from the front to the back of the house, that the greater 

 portion of the fruit is borne near the top, while the lower parts are comparatively barren. This takes 

 place, whether the branches be made to consist chiefly of vigorous terminal shoots, preserved at con- 

 siderable length, or the leading shoots be kept short, and lateral spurs be left for the production of the 

 fruit ; but in the latter case, the evil exists in a smaller degree : for the spurs, or short lateral branches, 

 divert the sap in its ascent, producing, by means of its flowing to their extremities, an approximation to 

 the effect of long branches. The same inconvenience would occur, to a certain extent, if the vines were 

 trained in a like manner in the open air, but it is greatly augmented in a house, in consequence of the 

 air being much hotter, as every one knows, at the top than beneath. Having observed that the fruit pro- 

 duced on the vigorous shoots, which usually grow s£ the extremities of the long branches, is, generally, 

 more abundant, and of a finer quality, than that produced on the short lateral ones, I was desirous to 

 promote the growth and preservation of the former ; but the usual mode of training the branches across 

 the house and upwards, being subject to the objection before-mentioned, and little scope being afforded for 



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